Shanghai Stir-Fry Sauce

Shanghai Stir-Fry Sauce

I make a lot of stir fry. Mostly because we love them, but they're also quick to throw together, and a great way to incorporate lots of vegetables, in our diet.
A while back, I tried a recipe for Shanghai braised pork, that had a wonderful braising sauce, but it took a while to prepare. So, I came up with a stir-fry sauce, that reflects the flavor. I think next time, I'll reduce it a bit more, to about 1/4-cup.
Love it! Make the sauce the day before, and you can put a stir-fry together, quickly. I think this would be great with beef too.

Ingredients:
peel of 1 orange- removed with a vegetable peeler
1/8tsp ground star anise or 1 pod
1/4tsp. cinnamon
1/8tsp. ground cumin
1 crushed bird chili
1/4cup rice wine
1Tbl. rice vinegar
1-1/2cups water with 1tsp chicken base dissolved in it
2Tbl. soy sauce
1/4cup brown sugar
2Tbl. molasses
2 chopped green onions
1tsp. minced garlic
1/4tsp pureed ginger
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients, in a saucepan. Simmer on lowest flame, until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4-cup.40-45 minutes. Cool completely, and strain.
Stir in 1Tbl. cornstarch, before adding it, to a stir-fry.

 

Velouté Sauce

Beef Velouté Sauce

 This is one of the five "Mother" sauces, used in french cooking. It's basically broth, thickened with a roux.

1/4cup real butter
1/4cup flour
2cups broth- (chicken, beef, veal, fish, etc.)

Melt the butter on a low flame, in a saucepan.
Add the flour and  cook, whisking constantly, about one minute.
Add the beef broth, and increase the flame to medium.
Whisk constantly, until the sauce thickens, and almost comes to a boil. Serve warm.

Chicken Velouté Sauce

Trinidad Stewed Chicken - Caribbean Green Seasoning

Trinidad Stewed Chicken with Trinidad fry rice

Green seasoning is a very popular sauce, used throughout the Caribbean, for all types of meats. It has a wonderfully, unique taste, that cannot be substituted. It's reminds me of salsa verde, but much more complex. Traditionally, you should use fresh herbs, for the green seasoning, but I have used dried herbs, and it was still awesome. This is even better, if you make the green sauce, a day or two ahead, and let it blend in the fridge.
Called browning, caramelized sugar is widely used in Caribbean cooking, and adds yet another distinct flavor. If you try just one Caribbean dish, this would be my pick.

Ingredients:
1 cut up chicken
2Tbl. oil
2Tbl. brown sugar
1Tbl. ketchup
1Tbl. soy sauce

For the green seasoning: (Exchange 1tsp.dried herb for 1Tbl. fresh.)
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
1Tbl. minced garlic
ripe hot pepper (1/2 of a scotch bonnet, if you can take the heat, or 2-jalapenos)
1/4cup sliced green onion
1 diced tomato ( I use a green tomato, if possible)
1 rib celery-sliced
1 diced onion- in addition to the green onions 
1Tbl. cilantro
2tsp.thyme
2tsp.tarragon
1Tbl. basil
1Tbl.parsley
1tsp.salt
1Tbl. ketchup
1/2tsp. black pepper
1Tbl. vinegar
1Tbl olive oil
shot of spiced rum
a little water if needed
Combine everything in a blender, and pulse several times, to make a coarse sauce. I usually don't need to add water, but if it's too thick to come out of the blender, just add 1or2-Tbl.

Make the green seasoning, pour it into a large dish. Toss the chicken in it, and let it marinate, at least 2 hours. (overnight is better)
Heat a skillet on high heat, add 2Tbl. oil, and 2Tbl. brown sugar, and cook it until the sugar caramelizes, to a  deep golden brown.
Stir in 1Tbl. each of ketchup soy sauce.
Remove the chicken from the green seasoning, shaking off the excess. Reserve the green seasoning.
Add the chicken To the skillet. Turn to coat.
Lower the heat, and simmer, turning often, to keep it from sticking, and the sugar from burning, until, most of the chicken juices have evaporated, and there is a thick sauce in the bottom.
Pour off as much oil, as you can.
Add the reserved green seasoning.
Simmer 30-minutes, turning often. Serve drizzled with the sauce.

Marinate the chicken, in the green seasoning, at least a couple of hours.

Heat 2Tbl. oil and 2Tbl. brown sugar, in a skillet, on high heat.

Whisking constantly, let the sugar become a deep golden brown. It will smoke a bit. Please use caution, the worst burn I ever had, came from caramelized sugar.

Stir in the ketchup, and soy sauce. Add the chicken, and turn to coat. reduce the heat to low, and simmer until most of the juices from the chicken, have evaporated. About 1 hour, or more.

This sauce is a bit deceptive. There is a thick layer of oil, that forms over the top, making it appear that there is still a lot of liquid. When I begin to smell sugar caramelizing again. I remove the pan from the heat, and drain off as much oil as I can. What's left, is a syrupy sauce.

Stir in the reserved green seasoning, and cook an additional 30-minutes, on low heat. It's ready to serve.

African- hot sauce

            African hot sauce: from the Congo cookbook. I love this sauce!
Makes 1/4-cup:
3 red ripe hot peppers- diced ( I used jalapeno)
An equal amount of green bell pepper- diced
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/2 of a small onion-diced
2Tbl. tomato paste or ketchup
1Tbl. vinegar
1/4tsp. sugar
 1/4tp. salt
Either grind or use a blender, to puree. Simmer for a few minutes in a saucepan, to remove the raw flavor. Refrigerate before using. I love this sauce, it's good uncooked too.

Stuffed Shells in Rich Mushroom Sauce

Stuffed Shells in Rich Mushroom Sauce. I prefer cheese stuffed shells, but these are good too.

Ingredients:
1lb. jumbo shell pasta
4oz. shredded mozzarella
1/4cup grated Parmesan

For the stuffing:
1lb. ground chuck
2Tbl. oil
4oz. fresh mushrooms-chopped
2Tbl. minced onion
1/2tsp. minced garlic
2tsp. dried parsley
1/4tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. black pepper
1/4tsp. cracked fennel
1egg-to bind the filling
1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
2Tbl. of the shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown and chop the beef. Set aside in a colander to drain very well.
In a 2quart pot, heat the oil, add the mushrooms and cook until they sweat.
Add the onion and garlic, cook until the onion softens.
Put the drained beef in the pot, along with the herbs. Mix well to thoroughly combine.
Beat the egg, add it to the pot, along with the cheeses.
Cook stirring constantly, until the eggs set, and the mixture starts to bind, a bit.
Set aside, to cool completely.

For the sauce: This is a chunky sauce, if you prefer a smooth sauce, replace the diced tomato, with a 29oz. can of tomato sauce.
2Tbl. oil
4oz fresh mushrooms-chopped
1Tbl. minced onion
1tsp. minced garlic
29oz.can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 of a 6oz can of tomato paste
1tsp. salt
3/4tsp. sugar
1/4tsp. pepper
1/2tsp. oregano
1/4tsp. nutmeg
1/4tsp. cracked fennel
1tbl. dried parsley
pinch of celery seed

Heat the oil, in a 2quart pot. Add the mushrooms, and cook until they become golden brown, and almost crispy.
Add the onion and garlic, cook until the onion softens.
Add all other ingredients, and mix well to combine.
Simmer on the lowest flame, for 1 hour.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. (Al dente, cooked- but not mushy)
Drain the pasta, and run cold water over them until completely cooled.
Drain, and stuff them, with about 1Tbl. of the stuffing, re-roll, and place them in a 13x9x2inch baking pan.
Spread the sauce over the shells, top with the mozzarella and 1/4cup grated Parmesan.
Bake at 375* until the cheese melts and begins to brown. Serve Hot.

Stuff the shells wit 1Tbl. of filling. I don't use all of the shells, just whatever fits into a lasagna pan.

Cover them with the sauce. If you prefer a thinner sauce, just add a bit of water to it first.

Cover it with mozzarella then sprinkle on the Parmesan. Bake until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.


 


 

Sourdough Pizza Crust and Pizza Sauce

                             Hawaiian Sourdough pizza-My Favorite!

  I think sourdough, makes the best pizza crust. You may have to adjust the salt and sugar, in the sauce to suit your taste.


For the sauce: -Enough for 6-8 medium pizzas
1tsp.oil
1 very small onion-minced
1tsp. minced garlic
2-6oz. cans of tomato paste
29oz. can of tomato sauce
1cup water
1/2tp. white wine vinegar
2tsp. salt
1/2tsp. pepper
1tsp. sugar
2tsp. basil
1/8tsp. oregano
1/2tsp. nutmeg
1/2tsp. cracked fennel
1Tbl. grated Romano cheese

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a 2quat pan. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion softens.
Add all other ingredients, whisking to combine.
Cook on a low flame, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Cool. (freezes well)



For the sourdough pizza crust:- makes 4 medium pizzas
2 cups Sourdough starter
1envelope dry yeast
1tsp. salt
1/2cup water
1Tbl. oil
3-1/2cups flour- plus more for rolling

Preparation:
In a bowl combine everything except the flour.
Add 2cups of the flour, mix well.
Add the remaining flour, kneading in to combine.
Cover and let stand at least, 30 minutes. (It makes the dough easier to work with)
Split the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll one piece, on a heavily floured surface, until very thin.
I roll a bit, flip it over, coating it with flour, if it feels sticky.
Spray a pizza pan, with cooking spray, or sprinkle it with cornmeal.
Transfer the crust to the pizza pan. Continue the same way with the other pieces.
For the Hawaiian pizza, I topped it with:
A thick layer of sauce, minced smoked ham, crumbled crisp bacon, diced onion, diced pepper, mushrooms, pineapple tidbits, and shredded mozzarella. Bake at 425* until the cheese melts and begins to brown.

Chili-Dog Sauce

                            Chili-Dog, better known as The Coney-Dog
Sometimes, we like to top them, Chicago-style. (In my family, that translates into- let's get crazy) Which could include: chopped onion, sauerkraut, sliced pepercini, sliced pickled jalapeno, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, sauteed bell peppers...I think you get the idea. But, These are great with just, a little mustard and onion. This makes a lot of sauce, probably enough for 30 hotdogs. I'll bet this can be frozen, with about the same results as, spaghetti sauce. This is even better, if you make it a day ahead, to allow the flavors to blend. I steam the buns by, removing the twist-tie, fold the end of the bag over, then microwave 30-60second. This makes them very soft.

Ingredients:
1lb. ground chuck
2 onions-minced
3tsp. garlic powder
2tsp. white vinegar
2Tbl. chili powder
1/2tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4tsp. cayenne
1/4tsp. black pepper
2tsp. cornmeal or crushed corn-chips (adds a nice flavor)
1/2tsp. oregano
1/2tsp. molasses
1tsp. sugar
1-1/2tsp cumin
2tsp. salt
3-1/2 Tbl. tomato paste
3cups water

Preparation:
Brown the ground chuck and onion, drain. (I use a wire potato masher to chop it as it's cooking, which breaks it up, very fine) or run it through a food processor after draining.
Put the beef back in the pan, and add all other ingredients.
Stir to combine, and simmer, on low, about 1-1/2 to 2 hrs. chopping with the potato masher occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, and you have a somewhat thick sauce. It's ready to use.

Pineapple Ice Cream Topping

                                      Pineapple Ice Cream Topping

Ingredients:
1-8oz. can crushed pineapple-and it's juice
2Tbl. sugar
1tsp. cornstarch

Preparation:
Add everything to a saucepan. Bring to a boil , whisking constantly.
Remove from the heat, and cool. Refrigerate until needed.

Strawberry Sauce

I prefer to use, frozen, sliced strawberries for my Strawberry Sauce, they use almost over-ripe berries for that product, which gives it an intense flavor. This could be used for icecream, pancakes, cake. etc..

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced, frozen strawberries-thawed
1/4cup sugar
1tsp. cornstarch.

Preparation:
Whisk everything together, in a saucepan. Heat until it comes to a boil. Turn off the burner and cool. Refrigerate until needed.

Thick, Rich Hot Fudge Sauce

I like using 3 kinds of chocolate, to make a really rich sauce. This sauce becomes very fudgey, almost chewy, when it comes in contact with the ice cream. If you prefer a thinner sauce, increase the amount of cream.

Ingredients:
2Tbl. real butter
1/2cup heavy cream
2Tbl. dark-chocolate cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1/4cup sugar
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3cup milk chocolate chips
1/2tsp. vanilla

Preparation:
Whisk together, the butter, cream, cocoa, salt, and sugar in a heavy saucepan.
Heat on high, whisking constantly, bring to a boil. Continue to boil 1 minute or until it thickens slightly.
Remove from heat and add both kinds of chocolate chips, and the vanilla.
Whisk until well blended. It's ready to use.
Store covered in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, before using.

Baked Breaded Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce

                Baked Breaded Pork Chops with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Mom once went to visit her sister, for a week, in Colorado, when we were kids. That's when I discovered, Dad could cook.
I knew he could make chili, grilled cheese, hamburgers, and the like. But, when he called us to dinner, one night, I was shocked. He had fried, pork chops, put them on a cookie sheet, spread cream of mushroom soup over them, then baked them until the soup became a glaze. Wow, it was fantastic. It instantly became a family favorite.
This is the way I make it now, a no-oil, fresher tasting, variation of Dad's dish.
(I bake the pork chops in a roaster with a rack, but you could also place a cooling rack, or similar in a baking pan)

Ingredients:
1 pork loin roast-sliced into 1/2-inch chops
1-1/4cups plain bread crumbs
1tsp. salt
1cup buttermilk -or- (2tsp. vinegar added to a cup of milk, allow to stand 15 minutes=buttermilk)

For the mushroom cream sauce:
2Tbl. butter
4oz. fresh mushrooms-sliced
1Tbl. minced onion
1/2tsp. minced garlic
1/2tsp. tarragon
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. black pepper
1Tbl. flour
1cup half and half

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375*
Whisk together the breadcrumbs and salt in a bowl.
Dip the chops into the buttermilk, allowing any excess to drip. Dredge them through the breadcrumbs.
Place them on the rack of a roasting pan.
Bake about 1-1/2 hours, or until the they are cooked through and beginning to brown.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper.
Saute until the mushrooms are tender.
Stir in the flour, until combined, then add the half and half.
Stirring constantly, bring almost to a boil, then turn off the burner.
Allow it to cool, then refrigerate until needed. (It will thicken, further as it cools)
Once the chops are cooked through, place them on a cookie sheet and spread the sauce over them.
Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the sauce becomes a glaze.

         While the chops are baking, make the sauce, cool then refrigerate.

Bake the chops, until they are cooked through and beginning to brown.
      (They will brown further while you are glazing the sauce.)

Slow Roasted Chicken on Grilled, Herbed Sourdough with Creamy Basil Sauce

Slow Roasted Chicken on Grilled, Herbed Sourdough with Creamy Basil Sauce..Jeez, that's a mouthful... I'll bet it would look better in French... 
Lente Poulet rôti aux herbes sur Sourdough grillé avec sauce au basilic crémeuse...Mmhm, Just what I thought, everything looks better in French.

 I feel a bit silly, giving instructions for building a sandwich. But, I've taught a lot of people how to cook, over the years, and try to write every recipe, as if  I were addressing a beginner cook. (I start teaching them around 7 or 8 years old.) I'm always afraid that It may seem condescending.  So I'll throw in a few, xoxoxo and a big :D.....there, aaallll better! Seriously though, I just think this is an awesome sandwich. This is the only reason I slow roast a chicken. It reminds me of those rotisserie chickens sold at the market.

 Ingredients:
Slow roasted chicken or Rotisserie chicken
2 Slices  Soft Sourdough bread
1 or 2 slices of your favorite cheese (Provolone and Muenster are great with this)
2 Slices tomato
2 slices crisp bacon

Parmesan Garlic Spread:
2Tbl. butter-softened
1Tbl. Parmesan cheese
1tsp. garlic powder
1tsp. dried parsley
1/4tsp. basil.
Combine. Use at room temperature.

Creamy Basil Sauce:
1/2cup yogurt
1/4cup honey mustard salad dressing- or-  Homemade honey mustard salad dressing
1Tbl. Parmesan cheese
1tsp. basil
1/4tsp. garlic powder
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. sugar
Combine and chill.

Preparation:
Spread Parmesan garlic spread onto one side of each bread slice. Place spread side down, on a warm griddle.
 Top one slice with chicken and one slice with cheese. Leave open faced for now. Grill until lightly browned, and the cheese has melted. (As if you were making a grilled cheese sandwich.)
Place the open faced sandwich on a plate.
Spread the cheese slice with creamy basil sauce.
Top the chicken slice with bacon and tomato.
Flip the cheese slice onto the chicken slice. Serve.

                                          Creamy Basil Sauce

                                        Parmesan Garlic Spread

           I baked the sourdough bread in a loaf pan, for sandwich slices.

Piri Piri Chicken

                        Piri Piri Chicken with Roasted lemon potatoes


Pan grilled chicken and sweet peppers, simmered in a mildly hot, Portuguese-African sauce. I love this, quick and easy too. I've done a bit of research on this dish, and have been altering my original recipe, which, in turn, was altered from one of Jamie Oliver's 30 minute meals. It has a much deeper flavor now. I'm removing the old post.

Piri is Swahili for pepper, particularly, the African birds eye chili. It is said that this dish originated in Mozambique. The peppers were believed to have been brought to Africa, by Portuguese settlers.  It always seems, the most complex sauces come from combining cultures, no matter what part of the world it happens. Such as the The Caribbean, Mexico, the Louisiana bayou, just to name a few. Many of my favorite dishes derive from these cross cultures.

I've made this using green bell peppers, it was almost as good, but the sweetness of ripe bell peppers really compliments the sauce. I think I'm also going to try: Grilling the chicken outdoors, then basting on sauce, like BBQ sauce. I let you know how it turns out.

Ingredients:
1tsp.-plus-1tbl. oil
boneless, chicken breast-thawed and flattened between two pieces of plastic-this sauce is enough for eight
1-to-3 Ripe bell peppers- julienne sliced (I use 1red,1yellow and 1orange, for a 3lb. bag of chicken breast.)
1/4 cup water

For the Piri Piri Sauce:
1 onion-diced
1Tbl. minced garlic
1/2tsp. pureed ginger
2 bird chili peppers- broken
2 red, ripe jalapenos-seeded and diced
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
1/4cup white wine vinegar
1Tbl.Worcestershire sauce
1/4cup water
1Tbl. dried basil
1/2tsp dried cilantro
1/2tsp dried thyme
1/2tsp. salt
1/4tsp. tarragon
1/2 of a bay leaf

Preparation:
Puree the sauce ingredients in a blender, until smooth.
Heat the tsp.of oil in a skillet. Saute the peppers until crisp-tender, remove the peppers from the skillet.
Add another Tbl. oil to the skillet, and turn the burner to a high flame.
Brown the chicken on both sides, cooking until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Most of the browning occurs at the end of cooking.
Add the 1/4 of water to the hot pan, to de-glaze the bottom of the pan. This adds more flavor to the dish.
Add the peppers back to the pan, along with the sauce.
Simmer about 3-5 minutes, to allow the chicken to absorb the sauce. Serve hot.

                                        Puree the sauce ingredients.

                         Saute the peppers until they are crisp-tender.

     Pan grill the chicken until it is cooked through, and lightly browned.

De-glaze the pan with 1/4cup water. Add the peppers, chicken and sauce. Simmer for 3-5 minutes. Serve hot.

Tartar Sauce

                                                 Tartar sauce


Ingredients:
4Tbl. minced white onion
4Tbl. dill relish or minced dill pickles
1Tbl. Sweet pickle relish
3Tbl. real mayo
3Tbl. miracle whip
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill at least 30 minutes, to blend the flavors.
You could pulse it in a food processor, if you prefer it smoother.

A nice harvest for a drought. It's time to make Cooked Salsa

                                      Cooked Salsa-finally!
It's been a tough year for gardeners, not to mention farmers. The government declared 90% of Illinois corn crops were lost. We use a well for our water, so we have to be very conservative, only watering the garden once a week. But my husband harvested a nice batch today. If you want to make this hotter, add 2 cayenne, if you want it very hot, add a habenero.

It looks like I can finally make some salsa. The main reason I garden! I love both the cooked and un-cooked versions.( Pauls perfect salsa cruda)

                                                An Okra flower.

Ingredients:
1tsp. oil
 1cup diced tomatoes (I prefer romas but any tomato will work)
1 bell pepper-diced
2 jalapenos- minced
1 small onion diced
1tsp. minced garlic
1tsp. white vinegar
1/4tsp. salt
1/4tsp.sugar
1/2tsp. chopped cilantro (dried is fine too)

Preparation:
I prefer to puree the sauce after cooking, but you can puree first, if you like.
Heat the oil in a sauce pan.
Add all other ingredients and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.
Puree in a blender, I like to leave it a little chunky, for texture.
Allow to cool. I think this tastes best at room temp. Use as a serving sauce or serve with tortilla chips. This makes 2/3cup.

Burnt Sugar Syrup

                 Burnt Sugar Syrup is used in a lot of Caribbean recipes.
It is very simple to make. Please use caution, the worst burn I ever had, came from caramelizing sugar.
The sugar will smoke in this process, especially near the end. You want it to become as dark as molasses.

Ingredients:
1/4cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water

Add the sugar to a skillet, and heat on a medium-high flame. Keep whisking throughout the entire process.

                                  The sugar is beginning to liquify.

The sugar is beginning to caramelize, keep stirring in the little bits around the edges, so they can dissolve too.

Once it becomes black, remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the cold water. It will foam up, I wait until I see the foam recede a bit, then whisk to combine. Cool completely before using. It can be reheated a bit if it thickens too much. I think I could have darkened this a bit more.

Pan Gravy ( Milk Gravy) for Fried Chicken or Porkchops

Pan gravy is just one of those foods, that doesn't use measurements. You just, sort of, have to get a feel for it. It took months of attempts, as a young woman, before I noticed there is a technique.  I think I can explain it.
I also wanted to throw in a few fried chicken tips, that my grandmother taught me.

Use small chickens (they have the best flavor)
Soak the cut-up chicken in cold water with 1Tbl. salt added to it for an hour or two. I don't know the science behind this, but it comes out crispier, and seems to have a better flavor.
Salt the chicken before adding it to the flour.
Grandma used 2cups of flour with 1tbl. salt added to it. She used a lot of salt for this, but most of it winds up in the oil.
Use the leftover, salted flour to make pan gravy.
She used nothing but all vegetable shortening.

Ingredients:
about 2Tbl. pan drippings
1/2tsp. black pepper
salted flour
1 can evaporated milk
2cups cold water

After you have fried the chicken or chops, pour out all but maybe 2Tbl. oil. (It doesn't have to be exact) Turn the burner on high add 1/2tsp. black pepper.

Add enough of the salted flour to form a puffy paste. (one that doesn't look wet, or, dry and crumbly)

Cook on high, for a few minutes, until the roux becomes a golden brown color.

Add the milk, whisking constantly, when the gravy starts to thicken, start adding the cold water, a little at a time. keep whisking until it comes to a boil. Turn the burner off. Serve.

Chicken Monterey

                                            Chicken Monterey

There are lots of variations of this recipe out there, with 3 thing in common: Chicken, bacon, and Monterey-Jack cheese. The sauces range anywhere from, a cheese sauce to Catalina dressing, to BBQ sauce.
I like the BBQ sauce version the most, so much so, that I make my own version of sauce, that I think really compliments the other ingredients.

I once topped this with Salsa cruda and Guacamole, instead of the diced tomatoes and scallions, wow, loved it. You can cook the chicken on an outdoor grill, or pan grill it in a little oil, then melt the cheese in the broiler or oven.
This also makes a really good sandwich. I think this would be great, wrapped in a flour tortilla, topped with guacamole and salsa. LOL, I just made my own stomach growl, I guess it's the latter version next time.

Ingredients:
4-8 chicken breasts- pounded flat between 2 pieces of plastic
6-8 slices of bacon- chopped
8oz. shredded monterey-jack or cheddar-jack cheese
diced roma tomatoes
scallions

For the sauce:
2 chipotles in adobo sauce
1Tbl. minced garlic
3Tbl. ketchup
2Tbl. orange marmalade
1Tbl. mixed citrus vinegar or white vinegar

Preparation:
Add all the sauce ingredients to a blender.
Pulse a few times, then process about 2 minute.
Pour it into a bowl and set aside.
Fry the bacon, until crisp, drain on a paper towel.
Grill the chicken, until cooked through.
Preheat the oven to 375*
Put the chicken in a baking pan.
Brush on a layer of sauce, top with bacon, and cover with cheese.
Bake until the cheese is melted.
Serve topped with the tomatoes and scallions.

                            Blend the sauce ingredients for 2 minutes.

I had planned to grill the chicken outdoors, but with the heat index at 110* today, I quickly changed my mind. Besides, many restaurants, serve their chicken -pan grilled. Add about 1 Tbl. of oil to a griddle or skillet. Add the chicken when the pan is very hot. You want to sear the chicken until it browns.Flip it over and cook the other side. It's ok if you don't get both sides brown like the photo, as long as it's cooked through, but still moist. It does stick to the pan near the end, just loosen it with a metal spatula.